The nominees for this year’s Mythopoeic Awards, presented for fantasy novels, multi-volumes, or single-author story collections as well as the Mythopoeic Scholarship Awards, have been announced. The winners of this year’s awards will be announced during Mythcon XL, to be held from July 17-20, in Los Angeles, California.

Shane Senter, currently facing two felony theft charges and four misdemeanor counts of unfair or deceptive business practices relating to his attempts to create Jumpcon, has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Senter previously filed for bankruptcy in 2000, but that case was dismissed by the courts. According to the filing, Senter has debts in excess of $8 million, including two small-claims judgments awarded to science fiction fans.

The Science Fiction and Fantasy Ethics group has been set up by a consortium of authors, co-ordinated by Andy Remic, who wish to celebrate the good side of the fantasy, science fiction and horror genres.

Remic says: “By that, we don’t just mean media with a positive theme — no, we’re into violence, sex, drugs and rock ‘n roll like every other monkey — but that our outlook and content will be geared towards the positive.

“The site will include reviews, articles and interviews, which is pretty standard across the industry, but also several exciting new angles – such as collaborative stories written by the professional authors therein, and ‘Viewpoint’ articles where writers can collectively wax lyrical on a certain topic.

“The official line runs thus: Our mission is to celebrate everything positive, funky and exciting in the Fantasy, Science Fiction and Horror Universe! The SFFE is a core platform, a hub of authors who have banded together with the aim of celebrating all that is positive in genre fiction. We aim to leave cynicism and negativity at the door, and concentrate on what makes us smile, what entertains us, and what brings light and joy to our SF, fantasy and horror universe. That’s not to say there is no place for criticism — there’s plenty bad in the world. However, this little digital corner is a place for positive progression, somewhere you will (hopefully) come if you want to smile.

“So far, a considerable number of industry figures have signed up to take part, and many more are currently in negotiation. The SFFE currently enjoys: Tony Ballantyne, Eric Brown, Mark Chadbourn, David Devereux, Ian Graham, Paul Kearney, Tim Lebbon, James Lovegrove, Gail Z. Martin, James Maxey, Juliet E. Mckenna, Mark Morris, Sarah Pinborough, Andy Remic, James Swallow, Jeffrey Thomas, Jetse de Vries, Danie Ware and Conrad Williams. A healthy dollop of literary roughage, we’re sure you’ll agree!”

The finalists for the PRISM Awards, presented annually by the Fantasy, Futuristic, and Paranormal chapter of Romance Writers of America have been announced. The winners will be announced on July 16 in Washington, D.C.

Actress Joan Alexander (b.1918) (also known as Joan A. Stanton died on May 21. Born Louise Abrasse, Alexander played the role of Lois Lane on the “Superman” radio series, opposite Bud Collyer. She continued to voice Lane’s characters in projects through 1968. Alexander also appeared on the television show Captain Video and His Video Rangers.

Paul Melko has been announced as the winner of the Compton Crook Award, presented for the new author for the best novel, for Singularity’s Ring. The Compton Crook Award is presented annually by the Baltimore Science Fiction Society at Balticon.

Emma Hawkes has won this year’s DUFF race, to bring a fan from Australasia to North America. Hawkes will attend this year’s Worldcon in in Montreal. She won in a field of four candidates, which included a team of two.

Harper UK has published the world’s thickest book, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. Weighing in at over 8 kilograms, with over 4,000 pages, The Complete Miss Marple is 322mm thick and contains twelve novels and twenty short stories by Agatha Christie.